Gravity-railway system.



D. R. FARR.

GRAVITY RAILWAY SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 28.1916.

' LWLW 1., Patented Apr. 3,1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEEF 1.

D. R. PARR.

GRAVITY RAILWAY SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 28,1916.

Patented Apr. 3, 1917..

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 DANIEL R. FARR, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

GRAVITY-RAILWAY SY STEIVL Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 3, 1917.

Application filed July 28, 1916. Serial No. 111,860.

To all whom it may concern:

Be .it known that I, DANIEL R. PARK, a citizen of the United States, and resident of the city of St. Louis and the State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gravity-Railway Systems, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in railways and has particular reference to a novel and improved type of shifting track-way for gravity railways.

The primary object of my invention is to provide a gravity railway having, carstarting means associated therewith in the form of a shifting section of track-way adapted to receive a car and start the same on its journey.

Another object of my invention is to provide a device of the characters described which is simple in construction, strong and durable, cheap to manufacture and effective in operation.

A further object of my invention is to provide a device of the character described which when receiving a car will automatically tilt to cause the car to continue on its journey without the use of complicated driving or impulse-giving machinery.

Other objects and advantages to be derived from the use of my improved gravity railway will appear from the following detail description and the claims, taken with an inspection of the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a shifting platform embodying the improvements of my invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmental perspective view of the same;

Fi 3 is a side elevational view of a modified orm of my invention;

Fig. 4 is a similar view of a stillfurther modified form of my invention; and

Fig. 5 is an elevation of a car with a trip arm.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, wherein similar characters of reference designate like and corresponding parts throughout the various views, 1 and 2 designate the free ends of a railway track, the same being supported on standards 3 and 4, respectively. The shifting platform of my invention is designated 5 and is mounted pivotally at 6 between standards 7. The

platform 5 carries the track-rails 8 of the usual construction. One free end of the platform 5 is upwardly bent as at.9 and provided with an opening 10 for a purpose which will hereinafter appear. A short length of track 11 is hingedly connected at 12 with the track-way 1. the free ends of said section'll being adapted to aline with the rails 8, at times, for a purpose which will hereinafter appear.

The operating mechanism of my invention embodied in the preferred form of the same shown in Figs. 1 and 2 includes a beam 13 formed of channel-iron or the like, said beam being pivoted at 14: between vertical standards 15 An arm 16 is carried by the one free end of the beam 13 upon which the hinged section 11 of the trackway 1 is adapted to rest for a purpose which will hereinafter appear.

In order to automatically tilt the platform I provide weight means in the form of a ball 17 adapted to roll in a curved trough 18,

said trough being carried in a cradle formed of bars 19 having their free ends upwardly bent as at 20 and 21 and engaged as at 22 and 23, with the beam 13 and platform 5, respectively. The arms 21 are also connected at 21 to the beam 13. It will therefore be seen that the beam and the cradle oscillate simultaneously.

The tilting platform 5 is shown in position after a car has been delivered therefrom. When a car reaches the section 11 the same is depressed, the movement of the section being imparted to the beam 13 whereupon the platform 5 is tilted to bring the inclined portion 9 thereof into alineinent with the section 11. A hook member 25 carried by a spring 26 on the beam 13 is adapted to engage through the opening 10 for maintaining the platform in position to receive the car, or in normal position. The spring 26 .is engaged with the beam 13 as at 25 and serves to maintain the hook in position for engagement with the opening 10. The pawl is capable of movement in but one direction. An extension 27 is formed on the pawl 25 and is adapted to be engaged by a car when the same passes onto the platform 5 causing said hook to be disengaged from the platform and permitting the platform to return to the position shown in Fig. 1. The return of the platform to normal position after a car has passed therefrom is assisted by the ball 17.

Referring to the modified form of my invention illustrated in Fig. 3 I have provided a structure substantially similar to the structure shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and described hereinbefore. However, in this form of my invention I have provided a supple mental lever 29 pivoted at 30 between the standards 31, which are the equivalent of the standards 7 hereinbefore described. A roller. 32 is mounted on onefree end of the arm 29 and a weight 33 is adjust-ably suspended onthe other free end of said arm. The roller 32 is adapted to bear upon the under surface of the platform34 which platform coincides with the platform 5 hereinbefore described. A beam 35 is provided pivoted on the standards 36, said beam and standards coinciding with the beam and standards hereinbefore'described. The op 'eration of this form of my invention is practically identical with the form of the invention shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and described in the foregoing. The mainv trackway has been designated 37 having a section 38 hinged at 39 thereto. An extension 40 is carried by one free end of the beam 35 and is adapted to engage the hinged section. 38. A locking pawl 41 is carried by a spring 12 on said beam, said pawl being identical with the pawl 25 hereinbefore described.

In this form of my invention a cradle 43 has been provided in which is mounted a ball 14. The function of the'ball is practically the same as the function of the ball 17 and the runway 18 hereinbefore referred to.

Referring to Fig. 4, wherein a further modified form of my invention is shown I have provided a track-way 16 mounted on standards 47, said track-way being continued at 48, said portion 48 being mounted on a standard 49. A section of track-way 50 is hinged at 51 to the track-way 46 and is connected by means of links 52 to one end of a beam 53, said beam being bent as at 54: at a point substantially intermediate its length. The beam 53 is pivoted at 55 between a pair of standards 56.

A tilting platform 57 is provided, said platform being similar to the platforms 5 and 34: hereinbefore described and having rails 58 thereon. The platform 57 is pivoted between standards 57 A hook 59 pivoted at 60 on the beam 53 serves to engage the platform 57 for a purpose similar to'th'e pawls 25 and 41 hereinbefore described. A flat spring element 61 is provided for maintaining the pawl 59 in vertical position. The platform 57 is provided with a relatively angular portion 62 similar to the portion 9 of the platform 5. A pedestal 63 is provided beneath one end of the beam 53 to receive said beam when in the position shown in Fig. 4. 4 V

The tilting mechanism of this modified form of my invention includes a cradle 64:

suspended from the beam 53 by means of a link 65, said link being adjustable on said beam by means of the holes 66. The other free end of the cradle 65 is carried in a stirrup 67, said stirrup 67 being connected at 68 with the beam 53 by a link 69 connected at 70 to the platform 57. The stirrup 67 is adjustable by means of the openings 72 formed in the link 69. A ball weight 73 is mounted in a curved runway 74 for a purpose similar to the balls 17 and 14 hereinbefore referred to. Means for manually tilting the platform is provided in the form of an arm 75 having a hand hold 76 on the free end thereof.

An arm 78 pivoted at 79 to the standards 56 is provided, said arm having a weight 80 on one free end thereof and the roller 81 on the other free end thereof, said roller being adapted to engage the platform 57 for a purpose similar to the lever and weight shown in Fig. 2.

In Fig. 5 I have illustrated a car provided with a trip arm, the former being designated and the latter 91. Thetrip arm 91 is disposed at the rear end portion of the car so as to engagethe pawl members when the car has very nearly passed the main standards. In this manner more of the weight of the car will be carried by the end of the platform farthest from the catch serving to more effectively operate the device.

In operation, under normal conditions, the platform is normally in position to receive a car. When a car is run onto the platform the pawl 25 of the preferred form of my invention is disengaged from the platform 5, permitting the platform to be depressed as the car proceeds thereover. Under normal conditions the ball-weight is atthe lower end of the runway and when the platform becomes depressed the ball travels to the other end of the runway. As the car leaves the platform the ball starts to roll toward the opposite end of the runway, thereby returning the platform to normal position, in engagement with the latch member. The hinged section of track 11 is moved vertically to be alined and disalined with the rails on the platform.

In the modified form of my invention shown in Fig. 3 the supplemental counterweight provided serves to assist in tilting the platform out of normal position. The other stages of the operation of this form of my invention are identical with the preferred form. The same may be said about the form of my invention shown in Fig. 4 with the exception that in this form manual means is provided for tilting the platform as a car runs onto the same. I desire to lay particular stress upon the extreme simplicity of my invention, particularly in view of the objects attained thereby.

From the above description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, it is thought that a clear and comprehensive understanding of the construction, opera tion and advantages of my invention may be had, and while I have shown and described the device as embodying a specific structure, I desire that it be understood that such changes may be made in said structure as do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a gravity railway, the combination of a stationary track-way, a tilting platform section, a cradle, and means operable in said cradle to assist in tilting the platform section.

2. In a gravity railway, the combination of a stationary track-way, a tilting platform section, a cradle, and weight means operable in said cradle to assist in tilting the platform section.

In a gravity railway, the combination of a stationary track-way, a tilting platform section, a cradle, weight means operable in said cradle to tilt the platform section,and

a counter-weight associated with the plat form for assisting in delivering a car or vehicle therefrom.

4. In a gravity railway, the combination of a stationary track-way, a'tilting platform section, a cradle, weight means operable in said cradle to tend to tilt the platform and to assist in returning thesame to normal position, a counter-weight associated with said platform, means for maintaining the platform in normal position, and manual means for assisting said weight to tilt the same.

5. In a gravity railway, the combination of a stationary track-way, a tilting platform section, a cradle, means operable in said cradle to assist in tilting the platform section, said means also serving to return the platform section to normal position, and latch means for maintaining said platform section in normal position, said latch means being adapted to be released by a car when the same is run onto the platform section.

6. In a gravity railway, a stationary track section, a tilting platform, said platform having rails thereon for alinement with the rails of the stationary track section, a beam, said beam and platform being pivotally mounted on standards, means connecting said beam and platform, a cradle associated with said beam, and weight means operable in said cradle.

of a stationary trackway, a tilting platform section, a beam pivoted beneath said platform section, one end of said beam being permanently connected with said platform section, a cradle, a weight operable in said cradle, adjustable supporting means carried by said beam for engagement with said cradle, and means on the opposite ends of said beam fordetachable engagement with said platform section.

8. In a gravity railway, the combination of a pivoted platform section, a pivoted beamassociated therewith, a cradle carried by said beam and connecting with said platform, weight means operable in said cradle, a hinged section of track-way adapted for alinement with said platform, and means for detachably connecting one end of said platform with said beam.

In witness whereof, I aflix my signature hereto.

7. In a gravity railway, the combination DANIEL R. FARR.

'Uopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. G. 

